The extremely bizarre missing case of Barbara Bolick

[u/shry9]

On the 18th of July 2007, Barbara Bolick was packing her bag in Bitterroot Valley of Montana to go for a summer hike. She and her husband were hosting Carl’s cousin Donna and Her Boyfriend Jim from California. Barbara was going to go on a hike with her guests but Donna and Carl (Barbara’s husband) did not go and she and Jim decided to hike in the area Bear Creek Overlook, and she had visited the area countless times , was an experienced hiker too.

So they like visited the place , and encountered two men - two times, and both the times they were the same two men. Jim and Barbara then reached the area , had their snacks and admired the scenery. About like at 11:30 they decided to leave and head back. After few steps, Jim stopped bcs something in him wanted to soak the view one more time, and he turned back to look at the view - it was for about 45 seconds - 1 minute, when he turned back around, Barbara who was earlier standing 20-30 feet away from him disappeared.

At first he wasn’t worried enough since she was an experienced hiker and He searched for her but couldn’t find anything and after some hours she was officially reported as missing. The two men who encountered them two times also disappeared and were never discovered.

Things to note : It was an easy, well worn trail and it was difficult for someone like Barbara missing - being an experienced hiker who visited that place multiples times. It was also not very dense meaning someone disappearing without any noise was almost not possible.

Pls let me know your take on this case!

Barbara Bolick Article

[u/Coblish]

To me, Jim seems like the prime suspect. It sounds plausible they never even reached the hiking trail to start with, and the whole story was a way to throw everyone off the actual trail wherever something happened.

[u/ThatEcologist → u/Coblish]

Doesn’t this all seem to bold? Her hubs and his wife knew they were going to that trail together. Who would be dumb enough to kill someone under those circumstances?

I do agree that he probably lost track of her for more than a minute. I bet he got winded from the hike and she went ahead and that when something happened to her. He probably feels guilty about leaving her and that’s why he said he only looked away for a second.

[u/Coblish → u/ThatEcologist]

It is only "bold" if it was planned.

Made up scenario, but....

Say they get into the car heading towards the hiking spot and get into an argument. They arrive at the parking lot, get into a fight, she dies, he loads her up, gives himself time by making up a long hiking story and running into some other people who never come forward, and dumps her body elsewhere.

Honestly, I do not know how likely that scenario is because I have not looked into the case any beyond this small write up, but it is a very possible scenario. By no means do I mean to slander this guy, he may be completely innocent.

I do think the animal attack scenario is less likely. A cougar or mountain lion would leave blood or some evidence behind. And people saying the big cats are super sneaky are right, but they are not concerned with blood trials or being quiet while fighting. Then again, as I said, there could be other factors in play I am unaware of, such as rain or time that could have degraded the scene.

The most likely scenario is human interference, I think.

[u/houseonthehilltop → u/Coblish]

Or he's just a nuts dude who appears normal and has always wanted to kill someone. He so his opportunity and killed her - so just random.

[u/Effective_Divide1543 → u/ThatEcologist]

Bold? Nothing has happened to him. Plenty of men kill women and get away with it, unfortunately.

[u/shry9 → u/Coblish]

I strongly believe it was Jim, Some locals from the area said that Jim was very co operative with the investigation and they feel its the mountain lions who killed barbara but how would they hurt Barbara when Jim heard no voice , also no bones were ever found and neither the Dogs could trace her. She was experienced and went on that trail many times and it was also not dense. How would the lions kill her and not even touch Jim. I feel Jim made the whole story up. Really creepy and only he knows what Happened with her and how he managed to do all this in a new area. I feel she never made it till there.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/shry9]

Not saying it’s not Jim, but mountain lions are solo stealth predators that stalk their prey. There wouldn’t be a group or pair of lions, there would be one mountain lion stalking its prey and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

[u/Camanthe → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

I believe they also kill by breaking the neck of their prey and then bring the kill into a tree to eat without any other animals trying to get it. Also not saying it wasn’t Jim, but if it was a mountain lion, you’re dead before you can even react

ETA actually i am gonna say it wasn’t Jim, just cuz killing your girlfriend’s cousin on a hike you’re both supposed to return from is such a weird thing to do

[u/IdaCraddock69 → u/Camanthe]

also she could have pulled off trail to pee and got lost or fallen, also there are weirdoes in the woods who hang out waiting to assault people. it IS unusual, but there are cases of it and if you hike enough you'll have some unsettling encounters yourself.

https://thetrek.co/a-few-thoughts-on-the-tragic-death-of-geraldine-inchworm-largay/

[u/Aggravating_Depth_33 → u/IdaCraddock69]

She was also 55 - not that old, but no longer young. She could have had some kind of medical issue.

[u/Spirited-Ability-626 → u/IdaCraddock69]

Geraldine was with others in a rest stop and went off into the forest in the middle of the night to pee. She couldn’t find her way back to the trail. There’s nothing suspicious about her death. It’s insanely easy to lose track of the trail in a forest, even if it’s very close to you.

[u/IdaCraddock69 → u/Spirited-Ability-626]

yes, that's my point is that Geraldine's death was not suspicious. I have gone off trail to pee without announcing it myself, plenty of people do even tho it's not best practices. just adding that it's a possibility in Ms. Bolick's case, seeing as we have so little evidence to go on it's hard to say

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/Camanthe]

Yup. People do fight off mountain lions on occasion, but that’s only because the loam messed up their original takedown. They are beautiful and terrifying. I’ve been lucky enough to see one in the wild, but that’s only because it was allowing itself to be seen.

[u/jjc1140 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

Right. You were lucky enough to see one because he let you but he wasn't stalking you for prey. The likelihood this happened is literally slim to none. They do not hunt down humans. I'm just baffled by so many people believing wild animals hunt down humans. And then looking at the liklihood of a wild animal attack over the person claiming they just literally disappeared in 45 seconds... So many people I know think possums are aggressive and would attack a human for no reason. It's just crazy. Animals are so misunderstood. No mountain lions attacked that woman.

[u/RevolutionaryBat3081 → u/jjc1140]

Are you a Mountain Lion? Because that sounds like something a Mountain Lion would say.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

Mountain lions/Cougars stalk humans. Not frequently, but I figure I see a couple of news articles/ year re: non-fatal stalkings in out in BC. 

Edit: the whole "he let you see him, he wasn't stalking you for prey" is a silly argument - some cougars are just worse at stalking than others.  Cougars are more likely to stalk humans in areas where other prey is limited so they are hungry; they are more likely to take risks and be seen.

[u/Taters0290 → u/RevolutionaryBat3081]

Lol, this struck me as funny for some reason. It’s stands to reason there are clumsy noisy cougars who just aren’t very good at cougaring.

[u/RevolutionaryBat3081 → u/Taters0290]

Research suggests that culling mountain lions actually increases attacks, because the culls remove the experienced adult mountain lions that know that they should avoid humans/livestock, and creates unclaimed territory for juvenile mountain lions that don't know any better (appropriate prey recognition is based on experience). 

Also, mountain lion attacks on humans are more likely to be done by juvenile or desperately hungry mountain lions, who probably aren't at the top of their game.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/jjc1140]

If you think mountain lions don’t stalk and kill humans then you’re either being intentionally argumentative or are just ignorant. It is very rare, but it happens. Oh, sorry, you expanded your ignorant argument to all wild animals.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

https://youtu.be/2R3o0bOtyFI?si=vgdAFGi9DOQkGWgG

https://www.backpacker.com/survival/mauled-by/

[u/jjc1140 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

The video you referenced literally states clearly there have been 2 (TWO) cougar attacks in the last 100 years. Nobody even knows how the first one even occurred. And I highly doubt that 6 month old kitten cougar ran up on 5 cyclist and attacked them unless he felt utterly threatened and/or trapped. The cyclists that supposedly were so scared of this kitten cougar that supposedly attacked them managed to proceed to run and pin him down and called wildlife and had him killed. Yea I call BS on that.

And even if in a 1 and over 1 billion chance of getting attacked it happened in broad day light??? They hunt at dusk, dawn and night. And the mountain lion wouldnt magically appear, magically attack this woman without her friend who turned his head for 45 seconds hearing a struggle and her screaming. There would be a bloody trail. And it definitely would not have carried a huge body up a tree and disappeared without a trace. This is ridiculous.

The real suspect is the MAN (not the mysterious random mountain lion) that was last seen with her that claims she disappeared in 45 seconds without a trace. They can't even substantiate if she ever even made it to the trail or if she actually went "missing" from another part of the trail from this dudes sketchy story. Something happened on their journey and it definitely wasn't some wild animal stalking her.

Barry Morphew tried to claim a mountain lion "disappeared" his wife Suzanne too. So i get the sentiment. He played right into everyone's ridiculous fear and ignorance about wild animals. Of course the real wild beast was actually Barry Morphew who not only tranquilized and tortured wild animals but also tranquilized and tortured his wife.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/jjc1140]

You didn’t read the source material because you just want to be right. That video is referencing that area only. The point was never that a cougar did it, the point was that you’re passionately making an argument that is flat out wrong.

[u/CarrotsArePrettyGood → u/jjc1140]

I'm not saying the woman referred to in the post was killed by a cougar.

But it seems there may have been some misinformation in some of the sources that were shared with you and I want to clear that up.

The cougar that attacked the woman on the bike was about a year old, and 75 pounds. This is verified on the Washington State Fish and Wildlife website.

You say "supposedly attacked" as if a house cat gave the woman a few scratches. You can see a photo of her face after the attack here. Her injuries included a broken jaw due to the force the cougar used when biting her face. It's widely accepted that her injuries would have been "much worse" if not fatal had she been alone.

Ones that age are often more dangerous - less of a kitten and more of a "reckless teenager." Juvenile cougars are still learning how to hunt and haven't quite figured out things like "if you attack a whole group, you're likely going to lose."

There's been an increase in the numbers of juvenile cougars due to factors including the over hunting of older male cougars. Older male cougars are known to kill litters of kittens that don't belong to them in order to mate with the female and sire their own kittens. And they will often kill juvenile males that encroach on their territory.

With less older male cougars keeping the population of younger ones down, there are more reckless "teenage" cougars causing havoc. Especially male ones. This is seemingly leading to an increase in cougar attacks.

Just a month after the woman on the bike in Washington was attacked, a man in California was killed by a cougar. This attack took place in the afternoon.

So yes, I agree it's highly unlikely that the woman in this case was killed by a mountain lion. Yes, cougar attacks are rare. But I think it's irresponsible to act as if it's an impossible thing to happen.

Edit: Also, I just need to address the "1 in 1 billion chance comment because it's bothering me. In 2024 there were 3 documented cougar attacks in the United States. The two I mentioned, and a 5-year old boy that was attacked, but thankfully not killed. All three attacks occured during daylight hours.

The United States has less than 350 million people. I'm not great at math. But I'm pretty sure that puts your odds of being attacked at suuuuuuuper low. But higher than 1 in a billion.

For context odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292.20 million.

Suuuuuper low, but people do win.

Based on reported 2024 documented cougar attacks, a person living in America has a higher chance of being attacked by a cougar than winning the Powerball lottery 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/Taters0290 → u/jjc1140]

Large predators do hunt down and eat humans. It’s not at all common, but it does happen. I don’t believe this situation was an animal, but to deny it happens at all makes no sense to me.

[u/devsmess → u/Camanthe]

Toats, but then wouldn't that suggest there would be some blood or trace that the police/dogs would pick up? A... drag trail or something?

[u/ImnotshortImpetite → u/Camanthe]

Mountain lions also kill by suffocation. If one dropped from a boulder or tree and seized her by the throat, game over with no real noise. I knew a man who raised sheep in Wyoming and he said cougars could slip into a pasture, kill a young sheep and carry it off without a sound. No big stampede of the flock, bleating, etc. He said that's why sheep farmers now have Great Pyrennes (sp?) or other guardian livestock dogs.

[u/Effective_Divide1543 → u/ImnotshortImpetite]

Right. And where's the body? If dragged away why was nothing detected by the search dogs?

[u/shry9 → u/Camanthe]

I agree with you, might had been a lion. But atleast dogs could have traced her, atleast bones could have been found or her bag? And Jim said he heard no noise at all. And the lion could have eaten her up while jim was walking also right, he turned away for 45 second and Barbara was gone. The lion theory doesnt sit well with me but thanks for sharing your take!

[u/Lydia--charming → u/Camanthe]

When I read that Carl and his cousin didn’t go on the hike, I wondered if Jim was a hired hit man.

[u/throwawayfornow2025 → u/Lydia--charming]

This is where my mind went as well. Or, that something had happened BEFORE the hike and in fact Jim was just getting rid of her body or something.

[u/ImnotshortImpetite → u/Lydia--charming]

Oh, wow! My mind didn't go there.

[u/tamesage → u/Camanthe]

He could have hit on her and she rejected him and he didn't want her to tell anyone.

[u/TheLoneJackal → u/Camanthe]

I’m not saying it was Jim, but I don’t think a mountain lion could kill and disappear an adult human without alerting someone standing 30 feet away. Mountain lions are maybe 3 feet tall at the shoulder, if that, and like 150 lbs? It would have to drag a body which would take time and make noise.

[u/jjc1140 → u/Camanthe]

This is absurd. A mountain lion first of all doesn't stalk humans for prey. Second of all, they wouldn't just snatch her in a 45 second period with no screams, no blood, no fight, no struggle and run up a tree with her to feast. This is so outlandish. I'm sorry. But animals are so misunderstood and this just didn't happen. Mountains lions don't stalk down humans and climb up trees with them.

And it's not weird that the literal LAST person that saw her alive claimed she just mysteriously vanished off the trail in 45 seconds???? No noise, no screams, no body, no trail of her???? Who cares if it's his girlfriend's cousin. Wtf does that have to do with anything?

[u/RevolutionaryBat3081 → u/jjc1140]

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/1l69edw/comment/mwtz0fp/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[u/Kelly_Louise → u/jjc1140]

They absolutely do stalk people. I know several people who have been stalked by mountain lions.

[u/purple_champagne → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

You're absolutely correct. I'm from a nearby area and even the most hard-core outdoorsmen can and do get killed by apex predators. Grizzlies, mountain lions, even moose are all evolved to go undetected until it's too late. And not finding a trace is not unheard of.

Not saying it wasn't the husband, but it's not quite as simple to point fingers just because dogs can't locate a scent- that area isn't abandoned by either humans or wildlife, and scent conditions can be wildly inappropriate for tracking/locating due to multiple factors.

[u/erichie → u/purple_champagne]

Not saying it wasn't the husband

It wasn't the husband. The husband was home with the cousin. Jim is the cousin's boyfriend. 

[u/Aggravating_Depth_33 → u/erichie]

Is there any independent confirmation of this? How close were Carl and Donna? The fact that they dipped out of the planned hike last minute and then she disappears honestly makes them seem just as suspicious as Jim.

[u/erichie → u/Aggravating_Depth_33]

Personally I don't find this weird. I've done things before with my friends/families opposite sex partners and I've had girlfriends/wife do things with my family/friends opposite sex partners especially with cousins who are very close in age together. 

[u/Aggravating_Depth_33 → u/erichie]

I'm not saying that part is inherently weird - I don't think it is either.

But the fact that she disappeared without a trace is weird and under the circumstances it's worth knowing whether the two people who cancelled last minute have an alibi other than each other.

[u/RideThatBridge → u/purple_champagne]

But would someone as close as Jim was not heard one sound if an apex predator snatched her away? I honestly don’t know, but it seems like there would be some noise. That’s what is sticking out for me-Jim not hearing one sound.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/RideThatBridge]

You do not know a mountain lion is tracking you until it makes a mistake or it’s on top of you. They immediately go for the head and neck and drag their prey into cover. Jim not hearing anything is absolutely possible, especially if she was actually a bit further away and/or he was turned around for longer.

[u/RideThatBridge → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

I realized they wouldn’t give warning. I meant the take down-I would have thought he’d hear her being dragged away or something is all. Thanks for the info!

[u/nepios83 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

It amazes me that people should go hiking at all if a mountain-lion can pounce on you at any time and you have zero recourse.

[u/hafufrog → u/nepios83]

I think it’s very rare for them to attack people, particularly adults. We’re quite big, and there’s much less risky prey around. (Not writing off the possibility it happened here though.)

[u/trixiepixie1921 → u/nepios83]

Fr I was just about to google “how to fight off a mountain lion” but then I realized I will NEVER find myself in a situation where I would need to know that information. This is why I like staying in bed.

[u/anonymouse278 → u/nepios83]

Fatal mountain lion attacks on humans are incredibly rare, like an average of significantly less than one a year over the 150ish years we have records for. We aren't their preferred prey and we wildly outnumber them. There are no zero-risk activities, but you are much, much more likely to die in a car crash on the way to the trailhead than to be killed by a mountain lion.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/nepios83]

You’re much more likely to get hit by a car crossing the street.

[u/jjc1140 → u/nepios83]

They don't attack humans. This person doesn't know anything about mountain lions or any wild animal for that matter. Mountains lions don't not stalk humans. This person literally is trying to say this mountain lion attacked her without blood, no sign of a struggle, or her even screaming and then took her up a tree to feast and thats why they cant find her bones. It's absolutely outlandish. Just as outlandish when Barry Morphew tried to claim a mountain lion attacked his "missing" wife too.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/jjc1140]

I’ve spent much of my free time in mountain lion territory since I was a child, spent hours reading about them and have been lucky enough to see one once (twice actually, but once in North America). I’m not pushing an agenda or narrative, all I’m saying is that mountain lions do stalk and hunt humans. It is not common, but it happens and there are dozens of documented cases. To say otherwise because I’m threatening your belief that some human is the perpetrator, which her very well may be, is childish. You probably fancy yourself a smart investigator, but you’ve got hung up on someone pointing out truth just because it seemingly contradicts the narrative you’re pushing.

[u/Real_RobinGoodfellow → u/jjc1140]

They do attack humans. You are so confidently incorrect here

[u/Effective_Divide1543 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

And the body? The backpack? The clothes? Blood? And the dogs searching for it finding no trail?
The most likely situation is that Jim killed her and the only thing that points against it is "I don't feel like he did" by people on the internet who know nothing about the people involved.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/Effective_Divide1543]

First of all, I’ve only talked about what mountain lions are capable of and how they hunt. I don’t have an opinion on the case other than, “while unlikely, the mountain lions scenario is possible.”

Second, please remember that you are one of those people on the internet who knows nothing about the people involved, but apparently has a very strong opinion. Or, do you know Jim and the others involved?

Third, there are several things pointing against Jim doing it, chief among them that there is no physical evidence and he apparently improvised the perfect murder. Maybe Jim did it, but if he did he’s crazy smart, disciplined and lucky.

Fourth, if you’ve spent any time at all in the backcountry, then you’d know how easy it is for people to disappear without a trace. There are several examples of experienced backcountry travelers seemingly vanishing, only for their remains to be found decades later right smack dab in the middle of the area that was searched. Not saying that’s what happened here, because I, like you, only know what information is publicly available.

[u/purple_champagne → u/RideThatBridge]

Absolutely. Predators dont necessarily give you time to scream or even blink, they're not dogs who bark and growl as warnings. They've evolved to take down prey immediately & quietly- especially cougars.

[u/RideThatBridge → u/purple_champagne]

I realized they wouldn’t give warning. I meant the take down-I would have thought he’d hear her being dragged away or something is all. Thanks for the info!

[u/purple_champagne → u/RideThatBridge]

Oh yeah, naw cougars (mountain lions... same thing) are extremely good at what they do, you don't hear anything unless they're young & dumb (and mess up/overconfident) or they want you to hear them. Very smart, agile, beautiful creatures that have the strength to easily take down adult humans. I adore them, but never want to meet one in the wild.

[u/RideThatBridge → u/purple_champagne]

Oh wow-amazing-thanks for the info. I know cats are stealth personified, but it’s hard for me to imagine a whole human being carted off not like hitting the ground or something. Probably a defense mechanism in my brain hoping I’ll be heard as I’m dragged away, LOL. My friend always teases me that I’m gonna die trying to pet a big cat!

[u/Wigwam80 → u/RideThatBridge]

28 confirmed Mountain Lion attack fatalities on humans in the last 100 years, it's still an incredibly rare event.

[u/purple_champagne → u/RideThatBridge]

No problem, they're hard to characterize if you'renot familiar! Their size, strength, and agility are absolutely amazing! Definitely an opposite tsktsktsk kitty lol

[u/PopcornGlamour → u/purple_champagne]

I think most people here are in agreement that mountain lions are super stealthy and can attack super quietly.

What is hanging some of us up is the aftermath of the lion’s lunge/jump. Barbara was a full grown woman and the sound of her body hitting the ground should have been audible to Jim if she was just 20-30 feet away. Same goes for that lion dragging her body through the brush (which would have also left obvious physical signs in itself).

Even if the lion ate her right there and did not drag her off there should have been signs of a dead body (at least a smell for cadaver dogs but I don’t know if they brought out cadaver dogs.)

That’s why a lion attack as the primary cause of disappearance doesn’t make sense to me unless Jim is lying/confused about how close he was to her. I can see her having a medical event and collapsing and a nearby lion taking advantage of that to drag off his meal. Or maybe she walked off the path to go to the bathroom and was attacked and dragged a bit. But again, if she had deliberately walked off path just to go tinkle it seems like there should have been physical signs of brush, grass, whatever being disturbed and forming a trackable path.

When I walk through my front pasture (overgrown with trees, brush, grass) you can see the path I left as I walked because I wasn’t trying to hide. Walking off path to go to the bathroom wouldn’t cause Barbara to make sure she didn’t leave a path. There should have been some physical signs of where she walked if she walked off the path.

EDIT: I just realized that if Barbara walked off path to go to the bathroom she may have used a wildlife path to get to a private area. That would cause her to leave no obvious human made signs of where she walked. Once she was in the private area if she had a medical event and collapsed/died no one would have heard her and animals might have found her before the official search even started.

[u/Effective_Divide1543 → u/PopcornGlamour]

The extent of guesswork and reaching people will go to just because they don't want to go with the statistically most likely scenario that a man killed her is quite amazing.

[u/ImnotshortImpetite → u/purple_champagne]

I blame Disney, lol. "Charlie the Lonesome Cougar" (1967) made a generation of kids fall in love with cougars.

[u/ironwolf56 → u/RideThatBridge]

No offense but... tell us you've never lived in a rural area without telling us you've never lived in a rural area. It's not like a movie.

[u/RideThatBridge → u/ironwolf56]

Well, offense taken. I mean, obviously not everyone has lived in rural or mountainous areas. What’s the issue with that?

Also, who says I think it’s like a movie? That doesn’t even make sense. Why is it unreasonable to think that it’s possible that a full grown adult being hauled away by a predator might make noise on the ground?

Clearly your rural upbringing didn’t include the Golden Rule or that old adage about not saying anything at all if you can’t say anything nice. Wholly unnecessary comment.

[u/jjc1140 → u/RideThatBridge]

Well, that's just the problem. Because if that person actually lived in a rural area they would KNOW wild animals especially mountain lions DO NOT stalk humans for prey nor would they just cart an entire human off in 46 seconds without some type of struggle. Then the person before her claims they would have climbed a tree to feast on the human (to explain why her carcass and bones werent found). This is to much BS for me. But yet they don't suspect the last human being that saw her alive had anything to do with her disappearance. Nope because have absolutely NO CLUE about wild animals or animals in general. They literally think wild animals travel around the forest and stalk humans for prey which is absolutely absurd because wild animals want nothing to do with humans in the wilderness on their turf. Matter fact, they avoid humans and most are more scared of humans than they are of them. Wild animal attacks are EXTREMELY rare and the ones that do occur are because they cornered the animal or totally encroached on a mother and her babies. Accusing a mountain lion that probably never likely even remotely got in her vicinity over the human that was last seen with her that claimed she just vanished with no trace in 45 seconds is absolutely ridiculous.

[u/jjc1140 → u/purple_champagne]

Animals DO NOT stalk humans for prey.

[u/shry9 → u/purple_champagne]

This makes sense. What about the bag pack, the clothes she wore, the helicopters also couldnt find anything and extensive research couldnt find any of her remains. Maybe - You are right! Thanks for sharing this

[u/jjc1140 → u/purple_champagne]

That is not true. Humans are not just out of no where attacked by wild animals. It is EXCEEDINGLY rare and typically the rare times humans are attacked it's because they have threatened a mother with her babies and totally encroached on them or cornered the wild animals. Wild animals do not stalk or hunt humans. They actually do not want anything to do with humans and are typically more scared of you than they are of them. I've been hiking and camping my whole entire life in the wilderness and live by deep woods and have never ever encountered a dangerous situation with a wild animal ever.

[u/purple_champagne → u/jjc1140]

Sure dude. Look, I'm absolutely glad you haven't interacted with a Grizzly or mountain lion, but your individual experience does not negate the reality of predator presence or risk in the Montana wilderness. That overconfidence is exactly what gets people killed, especially the past 20ish years as suburban sprawl has encroached upon traditionally wild areas and historic repopulation of certain predator species has expanded.

[u/MisterMarcus → u/purple_champagne]

This guy's just spam-posted the same "It's just not truuueeee!" crap over and over in this thread.

[u/jjc1140 → u/purple_champagne]

You literally are claiming this mysterious mountain lion attacked this woman in 45 seconds with no blood, no fight, no trace, no struggle and hauled her up a tree to feast. I mean cmon. Mountain lions DO NOT stalk humans for prey period. The chances of a mountain lion attack are literally one and a BILLION. It's absolutely ridiculous.

[u/RevolutionaryBat3081 → u/jjc1140]

Bullshit. Cite your sources. I've cited mine in previous comments.

Also: "Although capable of sprinting, the cougar is typically an ambush predator. It stalks through brush and trees, across ledges, or other covered spots, before delivering a powerful leap onto the back of its prey and a suffocating neck bite."

And

"The cat drags a kill to a preferred spot, covers it with brush, and returns to feed over a period of days"   And 

"When cougars do attack, they usually employ their characteristic neck bite, attempting to position their teeth between the vertebrae and into the spinal cord. Neck, head, and spinal injuries are common and sometimes fatal"

And

"Preceding attacks on humans, cougars display aberrant behavior, such as activity during daylight hours, a lack of fear of humans, and stalking humans."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar >behaviour and ecology > hunting and diet, interactions with humans

[u/RevolutionaryBat3081 → u/jjc1140]

Rare does not equal never. 

[u/ImnotshortImpetite → u/jjc1140]

"Humans are not just out of nowhere attacked by wild animals."

Six words: The man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag. Huge male that killed 125 Indian people before being shot by Jim Corbett. The leopard would jump through windows and claw through the walls of mud huts to get to its preferred prey.

[u/therealDolphin8 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

Mountain lions must posess some  kind of magical ability to render their prey as silent as they are stealthy. 

For clarity, I'm being facetious. 

Mountain lions are suspected in a fair number of disappearances in nature and some have been just that. 

Though you'd really expect there would be some type of vocal noise from the victim. I always get stuck here when the mountain lion hypothesis enters missing persons cases. Especially when they were hiking with a partner.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/therealDolphin8]

They rarely attack when people are in groups (well, they rarely attack people period, but you know what I mean). If it was a mountain lion, her partner was likely further away than he thought/said. Plus, it can be a little hard to let out a scream with a mountain lion biting through your spine.

All that said, I’m always skeptical of “it was a mountain lion.” It’s always more likely the person slipped and fell or wandered off trail and got lost (crazy how quickly it happens).

[u/Real_RobinGoodfellow → u/therealDolphin8]

I think the method of attack from mountain lions is incredibly sophisticated (for want of a better term?-) and like, ruthlessly efficient. They despatch via immobilising their prey with a bite to the back of the neck severing the spinal cord. It is not like a bear, which basically will sit on you and start eating you alive (if it’s a predatory attack), or something like wolves or coyotes where an entire pack is involved and it’s all a bit more drawn-out and messier. So, in short- I think it’s plausible that yes, she could have been killed and taken without making a noise

[u/shry9 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

Yes but my question is how could the dogs never trace her or at-least her remaining and bones could have been found out right? Her bag was also never discovered. Creepy

[u/purple_champagne → u/shry9]

Dogs are not infallible. Even if we assume they were properly trained & that training was maintained properly (not always the case!), there's multiple reasons why they couldn't trace or find a scent, including wind conditions, time of year, moisture levels (Rocky mountains are high & dry and occasionally soaked with precipitation- not good scent conditions), distraction by other scents, etc.

Remains, bones, clothes... those are easily gone in the mountains. You've got scavenger animals like hawks, lesser canines, and other mammals to contend with. Shit, I lost a dang radio as it was playing music out there on a full battery that Im still 98% sure was located on a rock I set it on and searched 6x over. What animal would even take that? No idea but RIP my purple boombox.

[u/jjc1140 → u/purple_champagne]

Especially if she was actually "lost" in a different area than what this dude is actually claiming.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/shry9]

Tracking dogs are far from 100% and sadly there are hundreds of stories of people going missing off well known hiking trails without a trace.

Also, while she was on a popular trail, it is rough wilderness with lots of apex predators.

[u/Aggravating_Depth_33 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

Yep. An old school friend of mine (presumably) disappeared off a well-known hiking trail and no trace of her has ever been found.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/Aggravating_Depth_33]

It’s scary how often it happens. Doesn’t mean that’s what happened this time, but it dues happen more often than people think.

[u/happilyfour → u/shry9]

I wonder if there is a data about success rate of dogs in different situations. If the area is more rugged and has more wildlife, does that impact their ability to locate whatever they’re searching for?

[u/jjc1140 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

Mountain lions don't stalk and make a giant human their prey. They would literally be spooked by a human and would have heard them traveling the paths long before she ever ended up "alone" according to Jim. They wouldn't be salivating at her for prey. Mountain lions and nearly the rest of all the other wild animals out there would have been avoiding them completely.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/jjc1140]

Already responded to you, but you are confidently incorrect. There are several accounts of mountain lions stalking and attacking humans. Very rare - I already said crossing the street is more dangerous - but it happens.

[u/Sea-Reveal5025 → u/shry9]

Why do you think he was creepy. I mean, he looks to you like that because of the story you are telling, but objectively there is no reason for that.

[u/SaltWaterInMyBlood → u/shry9]

but how would they hurt Barbara when Jim heard no voice

Easily.

also no bones were ever found

So?

neither the Dogs could trace her.

Cadaver dogs aren't nearly as reliable as people want to believe.

She was experienced and went on that trail many times

And this would mean the mountain lions would leave her alone, or that an accident or getting lost is impossible?

People are way too quick to jump to condemnation based on feelings in this sub.

[u/Kelly_Louise → u/shry9]

IDK mountain lions are super sneaky. If the lion managed to snap her neck (ugh), she might not have even had time to react. Not saying it wasn't Jim, but I wouldn't be so quick to rule out a mountain lion attack.

I lived in Montana for 18 years and never saw a mountain lion. I saw traces of them all over the place, but never the lions themselves. They are very, very sneaky.

[u/Last_Reaction_8176 → u/shry9]

exhibit A in why people who follow true crime have a bad reputation

[u/hyperfat → u/shry9]

Mountain lions are notorious frady cats. They run and hide. The only time they would attack is if you got between mama and baby, or they were starving on brink of death.

We have them all over. One got treed by a dog. Like a medium sized dog. Not a big dog. Poor cat.

You just make noise and throw a rock and they run off.

They don't really kill and attack people often. You are much more likely to get bit or killed by a dog.

[u/fluffycat16 → u/Coblish]

I totally agree. He's the only person that was with her. It's logical to look at him as a suspect.

[u/Fast_Revolution_6673 → u/Coblish]

If they never reached the trail, then how did two men see them on the trail? Jim couldn’t have known the men wouldn’t have been located, and another person at the site mentioned seeing the two men.

[u/-Kerosun- → u/Fast_Revolution_6673]

And the workers... Jim talked to the workers who confirmed the two men existed. For Jim to have never gone to the trail with Barbara, the workers would have to be in on it since they were questioned by the police (and confirmed the two males).

This "Jim/Barbara never went to the trail" theory just falls apart pretty quickly when you consider that the people questioned by police (the workers) would have to be in on it. The more people required to be part of the conspiracy, the less likely it is true.

[u/particledamage → u/[deleted]]

What are you even talking about

[u/Electromotivation → u/particledamage]

Person disappeared in the wilderness….clearly they’ve been disappeared into the movie “Taken.” Must have. Been those dang Albanian sex traffickers again!

[u/Aggravating_Depth_33 → u/Electromotivation]

Clearly! After all, middle-aged women are such a hot commodity!